Projectile for a firearm



Oct- 17, 1967 A. JEAN-BAPTISTE G. PICKART 3,347,491

PROJECTILE FOR A FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. l5, 1965 Hrrx OC- 17, 1957 A. JEAN-BAPT1STE G. PICKART 3,347,491

PROJECTILE FOR A FIREARM 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1965 l1gb 7 United States Patent O 3,347,491 PROJECTILE FOR A FIREARM Auguste, Jean-Baptiste, Ghislain Pickart, Seraing (Meuse), Belgium, assignor to Fabrique Nationale DArmes de Guerre, S.A.

Filed Oct. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 496,432 Claims priority, application Belgium, Oct. 30, 1964,

4 ,30 14 Claims. (Cl. 244-327) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a projectile for firearms of any type, such as for example a gun, which may or need not be rifled, a pistol, cannon, howitzer, bomb-throwing device or the like.

It is known that in particular for training a Soldier to fire, it is desirable to fire a practice projectile which gives a sensation as similar as possible to the sensation provided by an ordinary projectile.

Accordingly, for small bore automatic weapons, the attempt is made to ensure that the noise of the detonation and of the recoil with a practice cartridge should be similar to that when an ordinary cartridge is used; furi thermore, an attempt is made to get automatic functioning of the weapon also with a practice cartridge.

Furthermore, when firing on a target, the cartridge should be able to be fired with the sighting apparatus on targets -of customary dimensions of slight range of the order of 100 meters, with reduced safety distance which, for infantry munitions can be for example of the order f 500 meters; furthermore accuracy must remain such that it is possible to assess the effectiveness of the training of the rer of the weapon.

It is known furthermore that the Security Forces in certain circumstances make use of special munitions which have to be effective at short range but which must also present as little danger as possible for the individuals located outside the action zone of the said Forces.

lVarious types of projectile have already been proposed to meet these requirements. F or example, there is already known a projectile of slight mass entirely in plastic material which is adapted to be placed on an ordinary socket or which can be integral with a socket which is itself of plastic material; with this type of projectile it is not possible to obtain force sufiicient to cause the Iirearm to Vfunction automatically without making therein a substantial modification, and the sensations of firing, of recoil and of noise are clearly less than those produced with a normal munition.

This `type of projectile has been improved by providing it with a thin, resistant casing which partly covers the plastic core in such a way as to constitute to some extent a collar which improves its behaviour in the barrel of the rearm. However, if one wishes to provide the said` projectile with a force sufficient to obtain the automatic functioning or a sensation more or less comparable to that of an ordinary projectile, the range becomes large, and in any case exaggerated for a practice projectile.

Further, a projectile is known comprising a resistant 3,347,491 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 casing containing small shot or some yother pulverulent material which under the action of centrifugal force pro- ICC jects itself out of the casing, at the beginning of the trav jectory. In another embodiment the envelope can be constituted of a plastic material bursting into pieces at the outlet from the barrel, also by the effect of centrifugal force. The said projectiles have the disadvantage that they fling out debris within a certain zone in front of the firearm, which means the necessity for taking precaution measures for the personnel and the plant on both sides of the line of fire. Furthermore, when there is a breakdown in feed with a projectile containing a pulverulent material or a granulated material, it can happen that the projectile breaks and scatters its load in the mechanism of the firearm, which then has to be dismantled in order to be cleaned.

The present invention proposes to provide a projectile which does not have the disadvantages of the known practice projectiles and which makes it possible to create firing conditions that are very similar to the conditions obtained with the use of ordinary cartridges, while still providing a large measure of safety.

The projectile of the present invention has the feature that it is provided with a device for slowing-down or braking, which increases its surface of friction in the air, so as to reduce its range in relation to a normal projectile having the saine initial kinetic or motive energy, at the outlet of the core of the barrel.

In one embodiment, the projectile is provided with at least one member displaceable by reason of its mobility, of its plasticity or its elasticity, or with a combination of the said properties, i.e. the said member can undergo at the beginning of the trajectory a simple displacement, or, due to the deformation of certain of its parts, outside the contour of the projectile, that is, either towards the exterior of the periphery of the projectile, or towards the rear of the projectile, or in both these directions. The said displacement has the effect of increasing the drag of the projectile, i.e. the resistance which it offers to the air. The result is an increase in the absorption of initial energy in relation to that which would be produced with a projectile `of the same weight and having the same external profile before the firing.

In another embodiment, the slowing-down device is constituted of a certain number of small tongue elements integral with the casing or the core of the projectile, i.e. they are fixed to the said casing or to the sai-d core; the said tongues, located at the rear of the projectile, are preferably flexible with the result that under the action of centrifugal force they yield and thus increase the resistance of the projectile in the air.

In another embodiment, the device for braking the projectile comprise-s an element which can slide to the rear under the effect of a spring, after a holding bolt has been released under the effect of the thrust of the gases in the core of the barrel; the sliding element carries a shoulder with which cooperate the yieldable holding buffers adapted to tilt or withdraw under the action of a spring; the said sliding element which can be constituted for example of a hollow dish member or a disc, is located in the interior of the rear part of the projectile or at a slight distance from the culot of the same.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which give some examples of embodiments of the invention but in no restrictive SeIlSE.

FIGURES 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views in longitudinal section through two embodiments of a small bore projectile of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation of the culot of the projectile of FIGURE 2. Y

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic View, in lateral elevation, of a projectile in accordance with FIGURE 2 under the action of centrifugal force.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views in axial and longitudinal section respectively of a large bore projectile, showing the positions of the pieces of the slowing-down device before the firing, just after the firing in the core of the barrel and after the outlet from the latter, respectively.

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are similar views to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 of a projectile provided with another slowingdown device.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE l, the whole projectile 1 is of a single homogenous material, for example of plastic material; its culot is extended by the longitudinal tongues as seen at 2, which can be in any number, for example four; the said tongues, parallel to the axis of the projectile, have fixed points of attachment and preferably are spaced from one another and distributed along a cylindrical surface.

The projectile of FIGURE 2 comprises a metallic resistant casing 3 in which is housed a composite core formed of a front part 4 and a rear part 5 which is provided with four tongues 6 as in the case of FIGURE l.

Projectiles according to said two embodiments are particularly adapted to be fired in a rifled firearm. In this case, as a result of the rotation of the projectile, centrifugal force is exerted on the tongues which space away from each other or yield when they are of flexible material; the said tongues accordingly are subjected to a partial displacement due to their deformation and they can then take positions similar to those shown at 4 in FIGURE 4; in these positions, the tongues have their free ends which extend beyond the cylindrical surface of the projectile; in this way, the deformed tongues offer a complementary surface to the resistance of the air; there results an increase in friction, and as a result, a supplementary absorption of kinetic energy of the projectile; the result of this is to shorten the trajectory, i.e. the range which can be reduced by more than half.

The materials used for constituting the said tongues can be of any nature, but they must be selected to fulfill certain conditions, in particular they must not bring about abnormal deterioration of the barrel; furthermore, they must resist the `heat released by the combustion of the powder and they must have a good mechanical resistance to the snatching effect of centrifugal force.

The number, the dimensions and the shape of the tongues are selected in accordance with the material used, the effect of braking sought for and the possibilities of realization; the said tongues can be integral with the body of the projectile itself or with a part of the core or they can be detachable and attached by known means of any type. These embodiments have great advantages as they make it possible to vary within a very wide extent the characteristics of the projectile by acting in particular on the nature of the casing or the weight of the projectile by the choice of material and the dimensions of the possible core, as the initial kinetic energy is a function of the weight of the powder charge and the conditions and importance of the braking in accordance with the nature of the core and the dimensions of the tongues.

The embodiments of FIGURES to 10 relate to two larger bore projectiles. In these figures the same reference numbers concern the same or similar elements.

The said projectiles comprise a body 7 and a head 8.

In the body 7 are hollowed out a cavity 9 to the rear and a cavity 10 to the front.

In the projectile shown in FIGURES 5 to 7 the cavity 9 serves for the housing of a dish member 11 which can be formed of peripheral tongues such as 11a; the said dish is integral with the rod 12 terminating in the front, in the cavity 10, by a plate 13 provided with a flange 13a. In the interior of the flange there are positioned the holding buffers 14 which are beaks forming the termination for the arms 15 which pivot at 16; between the other ends 15a of the arms 15 a spring 17 is stretched; before the report, the pieces occupy the positions shown in FIGURE 5; in this way a lock is constituted which holds the rod 12 and starting out from the dish 11 is held in its cavity 9 in spite of the action of the compressed spring 18 which tends to expel it. As soon as the report takes place and during the whole time during which the pressure of the combustion gases of the powder is exerted, the dish 11 is pushed towards the bottom of the cavity 9 with the result that the rod 12, with which it is integral, is also pushed towards the front; the plate 13 pushed to the front leaves the holding buffers 14 which space themselves as the two arms 15 pivot under the traction of the spring 17. The various mobile pieces take up the positions shown in FIGURE 6. The plate 13 is then freed with the result that the thrust of the spring 18 expels the dish 11 out of its Cavity as soon as the thrust of the gases of the barrel is not longer felt, i.e. on outlet from the barrel. The pieces are then in the position of FIGURE 6. The said disc 11 drawn behind the projectile remains attached to the latter by the rod 12, the plate 13 of which comes into arresting abutment against the shoulder 10a of the cavity 10. The dish 11 positions itself outside the projectile and thus increases the surface of friction; thus the drag of the projectile, i.e. the resistance which it offers to the air, is considerably increased.

lf the projectile is fired by a ritied firearm, the centrifugal force which is exerted on the tongues 11a spaces them; this increases considerably the braking effect, i.e. the displacement of the dish towards the rear is accompanied by a deformation of the tongues 11a by centrifugal force.

Accordingly, the range of the projectile is very much reduced.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 8 to l0 the projectile has at the rear a disc 25, subjected to the action of the compressed spring 24; the said disc carries the rod 19, which is extended at 19a towards the front, into the head 8 of the projectile, the far end of which it reaches. The said rod 19 is provided with a peripheral collar 20 in which there is a circular groove 20a in which the lugs 21 of the arresting buffers 22 come to rest, which are constituted of two sliding pins separated by a compressed spring 23 housed in the cavity 19b of the rod 19 as can be seen in FIGURE 8. On the release of the projectile during the period of acceleration the combusted gases in the barrel exert their pressure on the disc 25 which is pushed towards the front, as well as the rod 19; the disc 25 cornes to abut on the sealing ring 9a to prevent the infiltration of gas to the interior of the projectile.

The collar 20 pushed towards the front of the projectile thus releases the lugs 21 which on becoming free make it possible for the pins 22 to space from each other under the thrust of the spring 23, as is shown in FIGURE 9. In this way, as soon as the projectile has left the barrel, the rod 19 comes backwardly under the thrust of the spring 24 acting on the disc 25 and under the thrust of the air on the front end 19C of the rod 19. As can be seen in FIGURE l0, the disc 25 then positions itself in the extension of the projectile at a distance which is a function of the dimensions of the pieces, with the result that it increases the drag of the projectile and reduces the range thereof. In this embodiment the disc, which is the braking member, is subjected to a simple displacement towards the rear of the projectile. The device which has just been described can be used for firing in rifled or non-rifled firearms.

An `advantage of the device of the invention is that it gives the projectile suicient force for it to give the user sensations of noise and recoil which are very similar to those obtained with the firing of a live cartridge in an actual projectile.

wThe present invention is not restricted to the embodiments which have been described and covers all possible embodiments within the framework of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resist-ant body, a slowing-down device in relation with said body, said slowing down device being an increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air so as to shorten the range in relation to that of an ordinary projectile of same initial kinetic energy, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air being composed of at least one member displaceable at the beginning of the trajectory to bring certain of its pieces outside the contour of the projectile, said increasing means ofthe surface of friction of said body in the air comprising a plurality of small tongue members, said tongue members being initially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, said tongue members being formed of fiexible material so they space from each other due to centrifugal force.

2. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a slowing-down device in relation with said body, 4said slowing down device being an increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air so as to shorten the range in relation to that of an ordinary projectile of same initial kinetic energy, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air being composed of at least one member displaceable at the beginning of the trajectory to bring certain of its pieces outside the contour of the projectile, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air comprising a plurality of small tongue members, said tongue members being initially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, said tongue members being formed of fiexible material so they space from each other due to centrifugal force, said tongue members being of a plastic r metallic material.

3. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a slowing-down device in relation with said body, said slowing down device being an increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air so as to shorten the range in relation to that of an ordinary projectile of same initial kinetic energy, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air being composed of at least one member displaceable at the beginning of the trajectory to bring certain of its pieces outside the contour of the projectile, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air comprising a plurality of small tongue members, said tongue members being initially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, said tongue members being formed of fiexible material so they space from each other due to centrifugal force, said body having a casing and a core, said tongue members being integral with said core of said body.

4. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a slowing-down device in relation with said body, said slowing down device being an increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air so as to shorten the range in relation to that of an ordinary projectile of same initial kinetic energy, said increasing means of the Y surface of friction of said body in the air being composed of at least one member displaceable at the beginning of the trajectory to bring certain of its pieces outside the contour of the projectile, said increasing means of the surface of friction of said body in the air comprising a plurality of small tongue members, said tongue members being initially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said body, said tongue members being formed of fiexible mate- .rial so they space from each other due to centrifugal force,

said body having a casing and a core, said tongue members being integral with said casing of said body.

5. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a plate on the end of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, means mounting said arms to pivot under the action of said spring located therebetween so as to free said plate to slide rearwardly due to the action of said spring acting on said sliding piece, a peripheral groove in said plate, and beaks at the end of said arms located in said groove.

6. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a plate on the end of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, means mounting said arms to pivot under the action of said spring located therebetween so as to free said plate to slide rearwardly due to the action of said spring acting on said sliding piece, a peripheral groove in said plate, and beaks at the end of said arms located in said groove, said cavity for said sliding piece being located at rear end of said body and another cavity at the front of said body housing said holding lock.

7. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a plate on the end of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, means mounting said arms to pivot under the action of said spring located therebetween so as to free said plate t0 slide rearwardly due to the action of said spring acting 0n said sliding piece, a peripheral groove in said plate, and beaks at the end of said arms located in said groove, said cavity for said sliding piece being located at rear end of said body and another cavity at the front of said body housing said holding lock, said sliding piece being a dish member possibly with small lateral tongues.

8. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock.

9. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, said arms being constitutedrof two sliding pins, forming said buffers, said pins being separated by said spring between said arms.

10. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, said rod integral with said sliding piece being prolonged according to the axis of said body from the rear to the front of the head where it comes to level of the apex.

11. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, said rod integral with said sliding piece being prolonged according to the axis of said body from the rear to the front of the head where it cornes to level of the apex, said sliding pins being diametrically opposed and housed in said body whilst said spring between said pins is housed in a cavity in said rod.

12. A projectile for a rearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion L gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffers on said arms forming said holding lock, said rod integral with said sliding piece being prolonged according to the axis of said body from the rear to the front of the head Where it comes to level of the apex, said sliding pins being diametrically opposed and housed in said body whilst said spring between said pins is housed in a cavity in said rod, said sliding piece being a disc on the exterior of the culot of said body.

13. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buffer on said arms forming said holding lock, said rod integral with said sliding piece being prolonged according to the axis of said body from the rear to the front of the head where it comes to level of the apex, said sliding pins being diametrically opposed and housed in said body whilst said spring between said pins is housed in a cavity in said rod, said cavity for said sliding piece being at the rear of said body and another cavity being provided in the front of said body for housing said collar on said rod.

14. A projectile for a firearm comprising a resistant body, a cavity in said resistant body, a sliding mobile piece in said cavity, a rod integral with said piece, a spring acting on said sliding piece, movable arms, a spring between said arms, a holding lock which can yield when said piece is subjected to the pressure of the combustion gases during the acceleration phase of said body, a collar on the periphery of said rod, buifers on said arms forming said holding lock, said rod integral with said sliding piece being prolonged according to the axis of said body from the rear to the front of the head -where it comes to level of the apex, said sliding pins being diametrically opposed and housed in said body whilst said spring between said pins is housed in a cavity in said rod, said -cavity for said sliding piece being at the rear of said body and another cavity being provided in the front of said body for housing said collar on said rod, a sealing ring in said body for eventually supporting said disc.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,003 8/ 1898 Borelli 102-88 674,509 5/ 1901 MacMartin 102-62 1,222,142 4/1917 Rossi 102--62 1,300,708 4/1919 Edison 102--88 1,302,008 4/1919 Cameron 102-62 1,318,858 10/1919 Frick 102--38 X 3,167,275 1/1965 Hermann et al 244-321 SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. STAHL, Examiner. 

1. A PROJECTILE FOR A FIREARM COMPRISING A RESISTANT BODY, A SLOWING-DOWN DEVICE IN RELATION WITH SAID BODY, SAID SLOWING DOWN DEVICE BEING AN INCREASING MEANS OF THE SURFACE OF FRICTION OF SAID BODY IN THE AIR SO AS TO SHORTEN THE RANGE IN RELATION TO THAT OF AN ORDINARY PROJECTILE OF SAME INITIAL KINETIC ENERGY, SAID INCREASING MEANS OF THE SURFACE OF FRICTION OF SAID BODY IN THE AIR BEING COMPOSED OF AT LEAST ONE MEMBER DISPLACEABLE AT THE BEGINING OF THE TRAJECTORY TO BRING CERTAIN OF ITS PIECES OUTSIDE THE CONTOUR OF THE PROJECTILE, SAID INCREASING MEANS OF THE SURFACE OF FRICTION OF SAID BODY IN THE AIR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SMALL TONGUE MEMBERS, SAID TONGUE 